Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - How HOT is Duke Tobin's Seat with Historically Bad Cincinnati Bengals Defense?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The trade deadline has come and gone. How hot is Duke Tobin's seat with a historically bad defense in Cincinnati? Let's break it down. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Well, not Bengals fans. And welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:33 I'm Jake Liscoe. He's James Rapine, and we are your host of lockdown Bengals covering the Cincinnati Bengals on this podcast since 2016. Your best consistent one-stop shop anywhere online for daily coverage of your Cincinnati Bengals, even through the by week. And the everydayers know it they've been with us every day this year. And if you make us your first listen, we appreciate that very much here. It's good to have just good listening habits, as I like to say, making us your first listen. And today we dive into some hot-ish topics this week around the trade deadline. We got various nationals talking about Duke Tobin at this point, actually maybe just one national,

Starting point is 00:01:15 talking about Duke Tobin's job security at this point, but certainly a topic of conversation locally in Cincinnati, especially with the trade deadline coming gone. And Joe Flacko has just made such an impression in his short tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals. It's time to give him a little bit of credit, his flowers. We'll get there later in the episode. But it starts with Duke Tobin, who has been the Bengals director of player personnel for over two decades, started with the Bengals in 1999. And for those of you that are every day, as you've heard this before, but the Bengals have had three guys running their player personnel department ever. It was Paul Brown.

Starting point is 00:01:53 It was Mike Brown. It was Duke Tobin. That's it. That's their history of people running the personnel department. Of course, Duke Tobin never had the GM team. title. But to see a change at this spot, as I said the last time we talked about this, James, would be unprecedented in Bengals history. It would be going outside of the family for just the second time ever when you consider the Duke Tobin started from outside the family, but effectively

Starting point is 00:02:20 is part of the family now in what is a family-run NFL team, which is what makes the idea of gauging how hot his seat is difficult because there's no history of the Bengals making moves at the spot. Sure. And that's part of it for sure. It's the fact that they've, they've been loyal. I think they believe in their process. They believe on how they're set up. So that's part of it. That national speculation, and that's what it was. And I think it's important to address it directly because it wasn't a report. It wasn't something that was out there from Schaefter or someone like that, like, oh, well, this guy's on the hot seat. No, Mike Floreo was talking on a podcast and on his show.

Starting point is 00:03:02 And he said the front office is constantly evaluating everyone, players who will be back or not be back. Well, that's every team. Coaches who will be back or not be back every team. There's this bubbling up now that Duke Tobin, the defective GM is going to be out. We'll see. Maybe during the by week, well, it's the by week. Maybe sooner. Impossible.

Starting point is 00:03:20 Heads are going to roll in Cincinnati. This is unacceptable because it's largely unprecedented how bad this defense is. Fine. I get it. Right. Awful defense. I've seen it. I've seen every game this year in person.

Starting point is 00:03:31 Totally understand. He's spitballing here. The bubbling up he's talking about, I believe he's directly referencing social media. Don't know that for sure. I think he's directly referencing this podcast. Yeah. Well,

Starting point is 00:03:44 maybe. But it certainly isn't Mike Brown. Katie Blackburn isn't calling Mike Florio. Mike Brown isn't calling Mike Florio. Elizabeth Blackburn isn't calling Mike Floreo. Caitlin isn't calling Mike Floreo. like Troy isn't so who would it be and that's it and that's the bottom line here is this is speculation which is fine because a lot of people saw this and we're like yes do it I I struggle

Starting point is 00:04:15 so much with this Jake because there's just so many layers to it and I don't know I don't know like we assigned blame last week this week I don't know the the ugly losses have been have been tough to overcome it definitely was last week because we had the trade deadline to distract us this week yeah it it's tough because I don't know what's Duke's decision versus not versus the coaches versus not versus Mike Brown versus not versus Katie Troy and what they've done. And by the way, the reason he's not a GM, like name GM, he doesn't handle the negotiations, the contracts.

Starting point is 00:04:51 He's not doing that. Like the actual big money deals, Katie's doing that. That's her job. in a big part of her job. And so doesn't mean he doesn't do some of it. Of course he does. And it's delegated on down. And the assistant GMs do some of it and talk and make contact points with free agents and all of those things.

Starting point is 00:05:12 But I just, I don't know. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes specifically. And so if you want to put it all on Duke, fine. I guess that does come with the title to a degree. But I find it hard to believe Duke Tobin didn't want Jesse Bates that he didn't want to pay DJ Reader. He knows how hard it is to find DJ Reader. He knows how much that changed the defense when DJ walked out the door and went to Detroit. And so that's the part that's tough for me to wrap my head around.

Starting point is 00:05:39 And I'm not grabbing my pitchfork yet because I just don't have those answers. The thing that makes this clearer to me is, yeah, maybe his hands are tied in free agency. I think there's a lot of credence to that point because of who ownership is. And maybe it's ownership's decision to keep the. scouting department small, but every time we've heard Duke talk about it, he's said that he really likes their setup. He likes the size of the department and the small team they have and the approach they're taking. And there are benefits that he's talked about to this approach, cohesion type of benefits, but they are unique across the NFL landscape in terms of the size of their scouting

Starting point is 00:06:22 staff, the size of their personnel department. So that's maybe, maybe again, Like you said, maybe it's hard to say exactly where this comes down. But we've heard Duke Tobin defend it. Well, many times, I'd say. Sure. It would be like us saying, and I do feel this way, but us saying as the, I think the only five day a week Bengals show, the only daily Bengals podcast out there that daily is the way to go. Well, that's our whole model. Like, shocker, that is coming from Mike.

Starting point is 00:06:54 I'll tell you right. It's how Paul was. It's how he built everything. and that's how Mike is where it's very, very slender. They added a bunch of a bunch as relative, but they boosted or gave their scouting department a major boost when Marvin Lewis got to town. But there's a reason it's small and there's a reason they operate that way. And I think Duke is just not that he wouldn't want, he would want an eagle size department.

Starting point is 00:07:20 I'm not saying that necessarily, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a few extra helping hands if that were offered. So maybe the ownership is. tied up with that. We know that ownership occasionally intervenes with the draft, but where I was going is it's a draft stuff, right? That's where I think that the most heat for Duke Tobin is

Starting point is 00:07:38 because as far as we know, Duke Tobin is largely running that show, right? We heard from numerous post-draft interviews, Duke's making those tough decisions, and the reason I say that the family might still be involved, Mike might still be involved, is mostly the Jackson-Carman pick,

Starting point is 00:07:54 but at this point, that's five drafts ago, 2021. But we talked about this recently, the string of drafts they've had, especially when they're not picking at the very top of the round, have been relatively disastrous in terms of finding future stars since 2022. They're the only guys that we're talking about extending in four draft classes are DJ Turner, I think Chase Brown will get there. I mean, probably should be there. We probably should be talking about that a little bit more. But at the same time, you're talking about extending a running back again, which is a tricky territory given this team's history.

Starting point is 00:08:35 Dax Hill, and that's maybe it. Like maybe Andre Yosevash gets into that conversation if he finishes the season strong. But the amount of capital spent, Marius, but a couple years off, Amarius for sure. But the amount of draft capital spent and the amount of stars found in the last four years is maybe one in DJ Turner. And the amount of solid starters plus is that list of guys we just talked about.

Starting point is 00:09:02 And that is way too slim a list in four years. There's zero stars. I'll tell you. Like maybe that changes. DJ Turner's coming on in year three and he's been a bright spot. And I love his game and his mindset. But maybe he ends up being a pro bowler this year, right?

Starting point is 00:09:20 Like it could happen for sure if he keeps it up. But sheesh. like it's year three. It's not like he came in year one and it came lit the world on fire and is this big building block. And that's what that's what stinks of this this whole situation. Like Dax, I think Dax could have been good sooner. DJ, who knows?

Starting point is 00:09:44 Maybe he just needed time because of his size and all of those things. And that's part of it. But there's more here. There's more on it. And I agree with you. Some of the decisions, especially if they were Duke decisions, have been awful in the draft.

Starting point is 00:09:59 And so let's continue the conversation about Duke Tobin and his future in Cincinnati coming up next. Today's show is brought to you by Mizzen and Maine. You know the saying, look good, feel good. The problem is most dress clothes only check one of those boxes. You look good, but you don't feel good. They look sharp but feel stiff, hot, high maintenance. That's why Mizan and Maine exist.

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Starting point is 00:12:05 You'll get $50 in linehouse after you play your first $5 lineup. That's code locked on NFL for $50 in lineups after your first $5 lineup. Price picks, it's good to be right. All right, Jake. Let's keep the conversation going. And the draft part is huge because we knew by keeping Jamar, Joe, T, should have been Jesse paying Orlando. Like, you're going to have to have some major hits in the draft, much like you did in 2020.

Starting point is 00:12:37 Let's throw it all the way back there where you have Burrow, then you have T, then you have Logan. That's such a foundation building draft. And I get it, the first overall pick. And you may say T was a no-brainer, but a lot of people were talking about that lineman that went to Arizona that day. I forget that guard that fell and he ended up falling to round three. Like they still made the call. They were able to get T. Higgins here. The Packers are dumb enough to pass on him.

Starting point is 00:13:02 Josh Jones. That's right. In Mims, was it Denzel Mims? Denzo Mims was in that draft class. Yeah, yeah. That was another one. The Bob McNeil connection at the time, just to bring it all the way back from his Baylor days.

Starting point is 00:13:18 And they go with T. Higgins, nail it. Then they get Logan Wilson. Nail it. Those are the type of drafts that they need. needed to have. Like, if they had that in 2024, let's say. Let's just say Chris Jenkins was already a Pro Bowl defensive tackle

Starting point is 00:13:35 and Jermaine Burton had eight touchdowns by now. And Marius Mims has done what he's done. It would feel different. It just would. But they haven't had that. And on defense it's a ghost town. All of these picks, all of these assets. And they

Starting point is 00:13:51 just have not, they haven't found the next Jesse Bates. They haven't found the next William Jackson. And I know that seems weird, but in year two, William Jackson, his first year actually playing on the field, he was awesome. They haven't been able to do that. I'm not saying you're trying to find a guy who's a one-year wonder as a first rounder, but you get my point is they haven't even had that flash in the pan type of player. And so there is an issue. And maybe it is Duke.

Starting point is 00:14:18 Maybe it's as simple as getting Duke the hell out of here. Or maybe it's the whole process. Maybe they do need to add more scouts. Maybe they do need to give him the support he needs so they know. that Jackson Carmen's a dumb pick, even though we all knew it. And that should have been shot down, regardless of who in the building, regardless of who in the building wanted that pick to happen. I don't care if it's Mike Brown or anyone else. It should have been shot down. Like, that part of it, whatever it is, whoever signed off on Jermaine Burton, come on, man, it felt like

Starting point is 00:14:45 a bad pick from the beginning. Demetrius Knight will see, but that one didn't feel good in the moment. And it damn sure doesn't feel good today. And so those are the, the, the, the, tough picks to get over because you're getting potentially awful value. Like the Jackson-Carman pick is like one of the worst picks in franchise history in my mind because of when it happened in the impact that it cost. So that's what's tough here. Is it the process? Is it Duke?

Starting point is 00:15:15 If it's Duke, fine. I'm out. I'm down. I'm not defending him. I just want to try to find the root cause and fix that cause, whatever it is, because they need to be better in the draft. Yeah, I think obviously the conversation. has to extend beyond Duke. It does extend to ownership, the way they approach free agency,

Starting point is 00:15:31 the way they do contracts, the way they wait and negotiate contracts to the last minute and end up costing themselves more money. The Jamar Chase and D. Higgins' examples are recent and ripe examples of this behavior. But when you isolate the draft, if you say, okay, Duke's thing is a draft, that's the one thing that we think Duke has the most control over out of all his responsibilities. it just hasn't been good enough when you look at the last three years of drafting, and Chase Brown is a hit, and DJ Turner appears to be really coming on as a hit that deserves an extension, and Amarius Mims is going to get there too. He's a solid plus player who seems to be ascending at right tackle.

Starting point is 00:16:11 But beyond that, that's it. I mean, we'll see this year. Dylan Fairchild looks like he could be a guy at left guard. He could be your left guard for the foreseeable future, and that's great. If that works out and he continues that trajectory, We'll see about Jalen Rivers. We'll see about these defensive players developing, but that's a lot of picks that you're not getting first round production out of that you've picked in the first round.

Starting point is 00:16:33 You're not getting second round production out of that you've picked in the second round. You're not getting third round production out of that you've picked in the third round in the last four years. Some of them more severe than others. And while you have to credit Duke Tobin for building this team around Joe Burrow in 2021 and helping to build a team that got them back to the AFC champion, ship in 2022, we're seeing this recurring theme that we've seen for the last three Bengals franchise quarterbacks, which is when they get paid, when they get onto that second QB deal, this team has not figured out how to draft in a way that is sustainable, that leads to sustained success. That's why they've never been in a dynasty conversation, the way the Patriots, the way this

Starting point is 00:17:13 addition of the chiefs is a dynasty conversation, that they've never gotten to that level of sustained success. And it's really hard to do. it's really hard to do. But the way we've talked about Joe Burrow and the level of quarterback that Joe Burrow is should be enough to get your foot in that door if you're executing around him in team building.

Starting point is 00:17:35 And ultimately that has to fall somewhere. If it's just a family and it's inescapable, there's nothing to do about that except for say, hey, family, please change. But when your director of player personnel exists and has to take accountability for something, He is doing something very substantial within the organization and you're falling short like this. I don't know where else you can really say, hey, we should make a change there.

Starting point is 00:18:00 If you just say, yeah, let's keep going with you because it's a family and he's our best shot with the family. I mean, maybe that's true. But boy, is that a sad place to be given the recent run that they've had with failing to put a team together. Yeah, it's tough. It's tough because when you look at what they've done, done in free agency. Like the reason they made it to the Super Bowl and the reason they were so good in that window is because of all their free agent additions.

Starting point is 00:18:28 Which were great. And they deserve credit for that. And for sure. Well, what have they done in the past couple of years? They've sat on their hands in free agency. They're not playing in the waters. They should be playing in. And that's where it's like how much of that is ownership versus Duke.

Starting point is 00:18:44 That specifically, that is so hard to extricate. And that's what sucks is like, did Duke really want to? Demetrius Knight or did they know they needed a linebacker because Al Golden's like, we need to get a linebacker that does this, this, and this. And they weren't willing to spend the money in free agency. So then they turned to the draft and the medical team is just so out on Jahad Campbell. I know there are people in the building that like Jihad Campbell. And I'm just painting a picture, medical team is so out on Jihad Campbell that they can't go that route. And then they just feel like their back is against the wall. Like, I don't know if that's the case, but that's a hell of a way to

Starting point is 00:19:17 draft because you're going to get it wrong a lot if you feel like your back is against the wall. Now, the year prior, I don't know what force the Jermaine Burton pick. It didn't make sense at all in considering the other guys that were there that they could have taken at that big specific position. But McKinley Jackson, same thing. Did they feel like their back was against the wall? If so, I hate it. Just pay DJ Reader. Like that's the part that's really tough. And when you look at their run, the reason that run happened is because they bring in Reader and they bring in And even if they missed, they missed on Trey Waynes, it was okay. And I think they've gotten, they get tight.

Starting point is 00:19:58 They have this big deal with the quarterback and they get T done and they get Jamar done and they're going back and forth with Trey and they get tight. And it's like, you know what? This is when you got to loosen up the purse string sum and get a little creative and move that money around a bit and apply the resources where you need to apply the resources because I don't think that they've just whiffed on all of these pick. Like, I think Dax should be right now he should be a safety alongside Jesse Bates. Like, those two should still be safeties here in this.

Starting point is 00:20:29 And instead, they were on the wrong page there. And that's just one example. The Miles Murphy pick, that's a really big roll of the dice that clearly hasn't worked out. And it's tough. So I get it. I get Duke taking the blame. I just, the way my brain works, I'm like, all right, where is the root cause here? Because you said it.

Starting point is 00:20:47 Anytime they have a quarterback and going into that, third or that contract, that big contract, it has gone haywire here. Well, you've got to loosen up the purse strings and get more creative. And I think that's what we're seeing now, especially given where the numbers are. And by the way, the cap still rising. There's plenty of flexibility, baby. Come on, Bengals. We'll put a bow on this and talk about QB1 with Joe Burroughs sideline coming up next.

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Starting point is 00:22:12 Again, that's code locked on NFL, L-O-C-E-D-O-N-N-FL-N-FL-N-F-T-L-L-L-T-L-L-T-T-L-T-T-T-T-E-L-L-L-T-T-T-T-E-L-L-L-T-T-T-T-T-T-E. As we put a bow on this conversation around Duke Tobin, I wanted to hit two points before we move on and talk about, how can you not be romantic about Joe Flacco? I mean, the way that they're talking about this guy, I just can't get over how much Joe Flacco has won me over. And I think Bengals fans over. But the one thing, not the one thing. Another thing that has really stood out when you talk about the draft stuff is three years in a row, there have been notoriously weak positions. Every year, there are positions that are weaker relative to the draft class in other years.

Starting point is 00:22:58 In 2023, wide receiver was not a great draft class. They drafted two wide receivers on day three. I care less when you do this on day three. Just to be clear, I don't really hold that against you. You're really rolling the dice on day three. Charlie Jones has been a fine returner, has eight career receptions. Andre Yosevash has been a fine wide receiver three in an offense that has two of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Okay, fine.

Starting point is 00:23:22 you get to 2024, bad defensive tackle class. I remember talking to every draft expert out there like, hey, is there a diamond in the rough and nose tackle in this class? Is there anybody a defensive tackle you like outside of round one, to be fair, because it didn't seem like the Bengals were in position to do that in the first round. Everybody we talked to is like, no, it's a lot of the same kind of guys, late day three kind of guys, and maybe somebody sticks it. and the Bengals draft McKinley Jackson in the third round, which is at least a round too early, to the point that you didn't want to put him in our mock draft in the third round, because it's not around early.

Starting point is 00:24:03 It's rounds early. At least. I do it might have been there in round six. At least a round. And Chris Jenkins is in the second round, who that's about where his consensus was, but again, notoriously weak defensive tackle class. And then in 2025, a bad linebacker class,

Starting point is 00:24:19 they go linebacker in the second. round and the fourth round. They keep drafting from draft class weaknesses and double dipping, which just doesn't feel like a process, right? Like we talk about drafting from the strength, BPA quite a bit, and that is not the way the Bengals operate, I think, quite clearly at this point. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:24:42 That's the frustrating. Like, I hate, I don't want to say, and I love what we do, and I love the draft, I don't want to say, man, like after they drafted night, and I'm not trying to be mean to Demetrius, but this is just the most recent example. We caught wind of it a little ahead of time. And when I saw that, I told one other person in the room. And that person was like, in round two? And so, like, you're talking about really general people, like, that are, you're talking. even as close as we talk about it.

Starting point is 00:25:23 It's not like we're doing the homework they're doing. And it's so risky. And I just, I hate a 25-year-old lineback or round two that we weren't even considering until round three. McKinley Jackson, I dismissed you when you said it because it was assonine. And that's nothing against McKinley.

Starting point is 00:25:41 I'm fine that he's on the team, but it shouldn't have been that early when you have 10 picks. Like that, there's no way. Taking a big swing on Jermaine Burton. It just didn't make sense when you had the other guys there. Like, Troy Franklin's a better player. He is a better player.

Starting point is 00:25:55 He was a better player before. He's better player pre-draft. All the metrics said he was a better player. Guess what? He's a better player in the NFL. Right? And that's before you get to the character stuff. And it wasn't just him and it isn't just him.

Starting point is 00:26:06 I'm just trying to name guys because that's what's tough is when you have these obvious other options that everybody can see and you go against it. You better be right some of the time. And it seems like they're never right. And that's the problem. Yeah. when you take these risks, you got to find some hits somewhere.

Starting point is 00:26:23 Better be right. Detroit has done this with positional value things on players that were believed to be good, but positions that weren't expected to be valued where Detroit has selected some of these guys. It's worked out for Detroit. It has not worked out for the Bengals

Starting point is 00:26:39 where they've gone against consensus. Last thing here before we get to Joe Flacco to wrap up is, this is a quick one, but I was perusing the ESPN, then wrap up of the trade deadline and Jeremy Fowler talking about Cincinnati here wrote that teams that Fowler spoke to believe Cincinnati wanted a second round pick for Trey Hendrickson and Dallas who was in pursuit of Hendrickson considered that steep so when I see that I wonder as critical as we were of the Bengals approach to the trade

Starting point is 00:27:10 deadline maybe teams really were just being real stingy in their offers for for Trey Hendrickson. No one else mentioned here. And when you write that Dallas considers the price for Hendrickson's steep at a second round pick when Jalen Phillips returned to third round pick and I get it, he's younger but not as good. He and Dan Graziano also writing about the Bengals have reason to believe that all is not lost.

Starting point is 00:27:35 They're not punting on the season, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, yeah. But I just found that interesting as we were critical of the Bengals approach to the trade deadline yesterday. the guys that are still on the team, the lack of bold moves. And the argument on the other side is you got to look at Jamar Chase and T. Higgins in the face and say, hey, yeah, we know that you're scoring, you know, 38 points a game or whatever with Joe Flacco. But we're going to trade Tray.

Starting point is 00:28:04 Yeah. And we honestly, we can punt on Flacco a little bit. He's been awesome. There's plenty to discuss, I think, there. We could still mention it, of course, because you're romantic about him. And why wouldn't you be? I wouldn't have traded Tray for less than a second. And so if this report is true, I'm fine with it.

Starting point is 00:28:22 I'm not fine with the process that got here, right? I think they've been flying by the seat of their pants the whole time with this tray thing thinking that he was going to sign a long-term deal. Mike Brown mentioned it on mock turtle soup day in July. We're working on it right now. I think that's going to get done. Usually it does. And it didn't.

Starting point is 00:28:41 And now it's going to be even more muddy. But are you giving them away? You taken a three, a third from Dallas, a third, like, that doesn't feel great. I'd be like, okay, well, you could just tag him. Like, I always think there will be a three available for Trey. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that's not the case. And if that's not the case, fine, but I'm okay with taking that risk in this moment,

Starting point is 00:29:09 not okay with everything that got us here, if that makes sense. Yeah. Just some pertinent information that I thought was. interesting as I was reading the trade deadline recap. Let's wax poetic about Joe Flacco for a second here and then we'll wrap up. We will have time to return to the Joe Flacco topic over the biweek. We'll probably talk about the coaching staff again at some point over the bi week. We'll talk about what faces the Bengals the rest of the season over the bi week as Joe Burroughs out there in his Joker costume walking around, doesn't have the boot on anymore on the sideline, probably

Starting point is 00:29:42 has some sort of support in that shoe, but impossible to say that's all speculative. Joe Flacko, since he's joined the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 65% of his passes for 7.2 yards per attempt. He has 1,254 yards in four games, which includes that first game against Green Bay, where he's playing on no practices and only goes 4.9 yards per attempt. And we're like, how much does Joe Flacco really have? He was good, but they're not really pushing the ball in chunks. And since then, the Bengals have been explosive against the Steelers, Jets, and Bears. And given those aren't great past defenses.

Starting point is 00:30:14 But since Joe Flacco arrived, the passing game has been explosive. The run game has figured things out. He's, for the most part, protecting the ball against Chicago put the ball in harm's way a couple more times, one of those being a Hail Mary, but okay, it's a Hail Mary, a bad interception intended for Chase Brown. But Joe Flacko really balling out and playing through that AC joint, as Zach Taylor has described it multiple times, like not able to lift his arm kind of stuff. We're going to give him the time off. you know, he deserves it.

Starting point is 00:30:45 It's just a Herculean effort from the guy and the approach to professionalism that he's brought in his press conferences in the locker room, I think also deserves a lot of credit. Admirable approach from Joe Flacco, the way that he discusses the game, the clear love for the game he has.

Starting point is 00:31:01 It's just poetic stuff for him. And it's really unfortunate on the other side that he hasn't been rewarded for this level of play. But at least you can appreciate what he's done for this, offense and the amount of production that they've been able to create on the offensive side of the ball, really saving the offense with Joe Flacko's arrival in Cincinnati. Yeah, he's leading the league right now in past attempts.

Starting point is 00:31:31 I just pulled up, I didn't know that. I just pulled up his pro football reference page, 33. It's in bold. That means he's leading the league. four games with Cleveland, four games with the Bengals, and obviously has been so much better with the Bengals, has brought stability. That's why the past two weeks have been so painful.

Starting point is 00:31:54 Is Joe Flacco's done it. He's done it. The receivers have done it. The offensive line has done it. And this is a whole other topic that we're not going to have time to get into today. That's why I have no problem with Chase Brown saying what he said. because like make the tackle, finish the game, do your job once. And they haven't done that since Joe Flacco arrived.

Starting point is 00:32:16 Third Nate against Green Bay didn't do it. Pittsburgh didn't do it. Offense finds a way to win. Jets didn't do it. Last week, didn't do it. Well, Sunday, didn't do it. Like, damn, guys, like, do it once. And they haven't.

Starting point is 00:32:29 They haven't done it since Joe Flacco arrived. So it's a heck of a change for him and for him to not throw anyone under the bus after the way he's playing. There are a lot of quarterbacks that would. there are a lot of players that would and yeah hopefully he keeps it up because he's been fun to watch and he's a big reason why

Starting point is 00:32:46 I think Bengals fans are still tuning in and we'll continue to pay attention even though they're really frustrated and you should be and Flacco is sixth in EPA per play since arriving in Cincinnati ahead of Daniel Jones, Doc Prescott Pro bowler

Starting point is 00:33:03 right behind Justin Herbert pro bowler the top of the list Patrick Mahomes, Jordan, Love, Drake made, Jackson Dart. Justin Herbert. He hasn't been a pro bowler. He hasn't been a pro bowler yet. That's about the change.

Starting point is 00:33:16 Ever? Never. That's crazy. Fifth and success rate when passing has been Joe Flack. I mean, he's putting up numbers. He's making the most of having Jamar Chase and T. Higgins to throw it. He's having fun doing it. It's a joy to listen to him.

Starting point is 00:33:31 Talk about his experience. And the appreciation you have, I mean, like I tweeted this, Like we've been meming about Joe Flacco is elite for decades. But it sure does feel like he's doing some elite things. When you look at some of the details, some of the way he's throwing the football with the Bengals. And hopefully that's fun to watch for the duration that we're watching Joe Flacko in Cincinnati. And he's playing his way into another contract with the Bengals. I tell you what.

Starting point is 00:33:58 Hope you're right. And that is something that we can talk about down the road. That's going to do it for this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast as we head into the byweeks. some film content coming for you soon. Until then, thanks for listening. Ho day and have a good one.

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